Mao'er Hutong (帽儿胡同)

Situated in the northwest of Dongcheng District, Mao'er Hutong links Nanluoguxiang in the east and connects Di'anmen Outer Street in the west. Before known as the Mao'er Hutongin Qing Dynasty, it was the place where Zitong Temple and Wenchang Palace were located during the Ming Dynasty. Wenchang Palace was used to consecrate Emperor Wenchang, the Star of Wisdom and a deity of the literary according to Chinese myths and legends. Now, on the site of Wenchang Palace, the Mao’er Hutong Primary School stands. The Yards 9 and 11 in Mao'er Hutong constitute the Keyuan Garden, one of the most representative private gardens in Beijing. The Yards 35 and 37 are the former residences of Wanrong, the last empress of the Qing Dynasty. In addition to Wanrong, this hutong also was home to lots of celebrities, such as Hong Chengchou, a general in the Ming Dynasty, and Feng Guozhang, a key Beiyang Army general in early republican China.